Re: [Openvds-devel] Control Panels

[Joe Cooper]

Marcos Rubinstein wrote:

> I agree.. but I'm webmin "biased" ;)
>
> seriously, besides many other considerations, one of the
> advantages of webmin... is joes cooper's webmin manual. It
> wouldn't be difficult at all to modify it some to adapt it
> to Openvsd, besides that joe is on this list ;) (you can
> check his manual named System Administration with Webmin at
> http://www.swelltech.com/support/webminguide/index.html )


Thanks for the kind words Marcos.  If my book does matter to folks in 
this dicussion, then it's worth mentioning that whenever either I or 
someone else /does/ make a proper OpenVDS Webmin module, it will be at 
the top of my list to document it.  It may also be worth noting that the 
book will soon be published by No Starch Press (I'm not plugging it 
here, really! ;-)...and if an OpenVDS module gets into the book by the 
time of a later printing there will be a book covering OpenVDS, at least 
in one or two chapters.

That said, documentation can be written for any GUI for OpenVDS--it 
shouldn't be the deciding factor in what GUI framework, if any, is 
used...Also, integration with my book is something that will happen 
regardless of what the 'official' VDS administration GUI is (I've said 
it before, but I'll repeat myself--I'm going to have a Webmin panel for 
OpenVDS in 6 months, because I have to...Webmin is Swell's product 
interface, and we intend to remain consistent across the product lines). 
 But, I certainly would prefer it if the official OpenVDS GUI is Webmin 
based, and I'll be more than happy to help with the module if it is.  If 
it isn't based on Webmin, then I can't spend time on it...not because I 
don't want to help out where I can, but because the interface I need is 
Webmin based.

The decision on what the GUI looks like has to be made by the people 
doing the work.  And since I'm not digging into a OpenVDS Webmin module 
this afternoon, I can't make the decision.  I suspect whoever gets 
started first (and produces useful GUI tools) will be the winner in this 
argument.  Generally, that is the right way for Open Source projects to 
develop--as Linus says, "show me the code".  If it turns out that in a 
few weeks when I get started on a Webmin module (assuming someone else 
hasn't already done so) there is no good alternative, it might end up 
that the Webmin module does win the argument.  Otherwise it will be 
relegated to secondary status--and that's fine.

> I do agree that the "basic" openVsd should have a CLI. other
> iadministrative interfeces should be developed in
> "parallel" with the main project. I'm thinking in the lines
> of emacs... Both the "main" projects and the admin
> interfaces could be independent but closely related!

I agree also on this.  It's obvious that the current console tools 
shouldn't be thrown away--and should be the 'real' interface to a VDS. 
There is a lot of solid work that has already gone into the protocol and 
interface.  Those need to stay and be continually evolving and getting 
better.  The graphical interface can be written in any lanuage and be 
wholly independent.

That's one of the big benefits of Webmin--it plays very nicely with text 
based configurations (assuming the module is designed correctly, that is).

Anyway, I feel guilty about barking out suggestions when I'm not the one 
writing the code right now, so I'll shut up and go back into lurker mode 
for a while until I am actually doing useful stuff.
--
Joe Cooper <address@hidden>
http://www.swelltech.com
Web Caching Appliances and Support